Claus Preisinger Puszta Libre! 2022

Could there be a hotter, more fun bit of juice by a serious winemaker out there? maybe, but I don't think so actually.

Served chilled with friends. Burgenland table wine with a wink to Beaujolais. The name and bottle hark back to times when the vineyard sites were actually in Hungary. The wine is about being wild and free and oh-so-appealing in a get-me-more-now kind of way. The sort of wine we are all about really.

For such a quiet dude that kinda keeps to himself Claus has made a big splash in the world of natural winemaking. The wines are actually beautifully reflective of the man too, minimalist, focused, somewhat reserved but overwhelmingly charming. Claus's wines were my (and I think many others) gateway drug into not only Austrian natural wines but also Eastern/Central European wines in general.

He has ~19 hectares of vineyards and a really smartly designed modern, and of course, minimalist winery (and quite a good record collection too...). The vineyards are spread on the east side of Lake Neusiedl over three villages. The production is focused on the indigenous grape varieties Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent. Merlot is back up for the blends and Pinot Noir is amusement.

"The wines are my image of the nature. I try not to influence artificially in the vineyard and cellar. Also if I could amend the wine, I do not, because I want to show, what nature gives.

Small, native, none globalized, unconsulted (or personal). Emotion, passion, instinct, nose, mouth and to act spontaneously.”" - Claus Preisinger